Source: FOOTYMAD
Di Matteo happy with workout
Boss pleased after pre-season opener Roberto Di Matteo admitted he was satisfied with Albion’s opening pre-season victory against Kidderminster. The Baggies boss fielded two separate teams at Aggborough making 11 changes at half time. Goals from Ishmael Miller in the first half and Roman Bednar and Abdoulaye Meite after the break completed a comfortable victory for the Premier League newboys. While the Italian was pleased by the scoreline he emphasised the friendly was more about building the match fitness of his squad after their first week of pre-season training. The Baggies now travel to Holland for a training camp as Di Matteo and his backroom team gear towards the Premier League kick-off against Chelsea on August 14th. "It was just important the players got a feel of the ball at the end of the first week of pre-season,” said Robbie. "We gave everyone a good 45 minutes. "I played a few players out of position, which is always good as well to see how they react. "It was a good workout. "Everybody has come through okay and we've had no injuries so far, which is very good. "They are all in good shape. "Pre-season is important for every player because it is the time of year when you have to put the foundation in for the rest of your season. "A good pre-season will be beneficial to the players. "But it's important players like Ishmael Miller and James Morrison have a full pre-season without any injuries." "The score didn't really matter today and we weren't assessing the players' performances. "That wasn't really the point. "They had heavy legs today and we weren't expecting much. "It was just about getting a feel of a big pitch, the football and I asked a couple of things of them - that's all."
